


Con(VIXX) Lens on Oz

by LiviaWavern14



Series: (VIXX)ard of Oz from the Outside [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Also known as "I did research again!", How Not To Acquire a Sentient Being, Hybrid Experimentation, In a world where magic exists and science has our own history, Kim Jiwon - Freeform, Magic, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Scientific Basis in Reality Wherever Possible, Slavery/Indentured Servitude, Still Lions and Tigers and Bears, Treatment of Indigenous Peoples, idol cameos, what would happen to those viewed as lesser?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 16:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiviaWavern14/pseuds/LiviaWavern14
Summary: In Oz, a hybrid is not an Ozian. They are not a citizen, they have no rights or protections. They are no longer legally slaves in most cases as they were historically, but indentured servitude is an equally damning sentence for many.In Oz, science and magic has had a close relationship, but that does not remove how damaging the search for truths can be on the subjects in such aided science. In fact, it means exploring and delving into even more depraved and completely unempathetic elements of nature.In a little port town, Ravi has never known freedom, and that was before he got put into a cage. Not with his music, not with his sister, not with the respect he earned from The Boss. He has remained a caged bird with or without the gilded bars.He never really found out how to be safe outside of himself...and in the end that isn't safe either.





	Con(VIXX) Lens on Oz

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive my errors and issues. I remain a writing n00b, and one that has a number of big ideas, but little time to implement.
> 
> Enjoy the first chapter of my planned Ravi "One-Shot" (*cries laughing at the data monster*) which ballooned outward extensively. I'm sure future me will have fun expanding these worlds further, but for now...
> 
> Voilà!
> 
> Chapter warnings are in the end notes.

 

 

* * *

 

Chapter 1

 

Some aches and pains carry into dreams, suspending motions forward or creating scenarios in the dream itself for their origins. Sometimes a dreamer only wakes up to the pain, dream gone and the pain sustained.

 

“Ravi, wake up”

 

Ravi gained awareness of a small hand petting through his mane in gentle strokes. He fought the heavy weight of his eyelids for one a moment before he felt a gentle press of lips on his closed eyes one after the other and a quiet giggle.

 

“Jiwon, are you laughing at your wiser older brother?”

 

The fingers running trails in his hair never faltered in their detangling path, but Ravi could feel the minute vibrations from his sister’s contained laughter.

 

“Never, ‘wiser older brother’, but I thought we agreed I wouldn’t have to wake you up anymore. Something about….a new lease on life?”

 

Ravi’s sigh quickly became a yawn. Finally opening his eyes to the dark room, he could see the space illuminated by the flickering candle light in Jiwon’s hand. Illuminating the sweet smile and creases of his sister’s face, the angle of the light cast odd shadows and shapes in the dips in her cheeks.

 

Pulling his head from its comfortable perch on her knee – obviously having been moved from the pallet he had fallen asleep on – Ravi winced and rubbed his bare left shoulder.

 

Seeing her brother’s pain Jiwon set the candle down cautiously on the minuscule metal scrap they kept to hold the melting wax, careful of the perforated material and upturned (almost ripped) edges. She went behind Ravi and took over his poor attempts at stretching – range of motion severely curtailed based on his attempts to circle the arm – and suggested that they warm up a rag to ease the muscles.

 

Ravi shook his head, mane waving, only to cringe at the horribly tight sensation in his neck. Jiwon carefully navigated the expanse of the skinny-muscled shoulder with skilled fingers and the meat of her palm, delicately avoiding the raised bumps of his spine and the purple-green bloom on the left side of his back. Ravi knew that the standard patchwork of shiny scars on tanned skin and shadows – cast by his ribs and the sharp jut of his shoulder blade – were also paired with several large bruises she would have missed waking him while he was lying on his back.

 

His sister was quiet while easing the tight musculature. She tentatively broached the subject of the bruising, quietly saying, “Seems kind of bad this time Ravi. Someone get a solid shot in?”

 

“Jiwon, I’m fine” Ravi said, though Jiwon’s silent disapproval stopped him. Ravi gave a sad exhale, and brought his good right arm over his shoulder to hold his sister’s hand. “I’m almost finished”

 

The fingers on his back turned under his palm and began to grip his own hand tightly, and Ravi turned his body at the sign of anger. Furry ears quivering and curling upwards in anger, Jiwon met her brother’s sincere gaze, severely whispering “With what Vivi?! You still haven’t told me why you keep doing this! Every time I ask you just keep saying ‘It’s worth it’, ‘It’s worth it’, and I just want you to stop!” Jiwon’s sandy-colored ears had fallen to form a frightened line as she spoke.

 

Ravi shifted his body further so he could hug his desperate sibling. Ribs spasming with the force of her breathing – something Ravi could feel under his strong grip – Jiwon’s voice fell deadened. “Nothing you could get me or yourself is worth this”

 

Ravi felt his heart constrict, but he did not give up his vice-like embrace. “Oh, sweetie, yes it is. This is worth the pain. Please, just trust me”

 

* * *

 

Jiwon ended up leaving their hovel not long after she straightened herself out to get to work. As soon as she left, Ravi took out what appeared to be a deep stone slab from under the floorboards. Nestled in a small box carved out of stone and hidden under the tiny room’s floor, texts rested atop a pile of what appeared to be papers. Only a closer look would reveal the reflective sheen of money, and a large amount of it too. Ravi placed the lid solidly back atop the box, only to bury it in the one place it might be safe from passersby or burning.

 

 _And if there were a fire,_ Ravi considered grimly, _there would be someone happily holding the match._ Without a guarantee that his work would not go up in flames or disappear – all quite literally – Ravi had to depend on secrecy, even from his beloved sibling. His paranoia hadn’t let him down quite yet.

 

Moving quickly again, his tail swishing in agitation as he made his way out the unlockable door, Ravi strode towards the main house for any messages going to the docks. In the decade he had lived on the plot with his sister, his was the role in the household that had never been made clear. Being a servant to The Boss meant having more than the bare minimum of practical skills – though few of the workers in the fields had the time to cook and none of the houseworkers would be going fishing with the dockers.Apparently, having talented labor was The Boss’ forte. After all, “People employing my hybrids are goin’ to look for the one with the most skill for cheap. I’ll give them what they want”.

 

Ravi felt this was a double-edged sword. The better equipped he was for the real world, the more likely it was that he would be bought up and separated from Jiwon by some passing richie – and no matter how you put it, he was being bought. The Boss could claim he was “raising employees”. _Bullshit you are. I am enslaved to your whims, punished if I run away, bought as chattel –_ but the less equipped he was, the less able he would be to provide for his sister.

 

Bought at age 14 and learning that this was the new way the world worked, Ravi looked at Jiwon and decided to make himself indispensable.

 

* * *

 

Ravi was literate. He was capable of reading before he had to grow up so fast, and suddenly he had a skill that could be useful. He was able to write with words The Boss did not care to know, create art in the letters with his pen, and became a partial scribe. The Boss, for all his talk of being best in the business, did not bother with the paperwork that a scribe would be able to do, and never bothered having Ravi be the official help over the ten years. But Ravi still had time to find something better.

 

He also had talent in music. He had phrases on his tongue and tapping in his fingers to create rhythms to match the words of power he mouthed, created, and reimagined. The Boss saw the chance to get some money from the city dwellers nearby, and got Ravi lessons. Lessons in instruments and in practical theory. Ravi ended up being well known by the locals, playing in the eateries and in the lobbies of events. At 16, – _hands gripping his fiery mane_ – he was sitting at the piano – _money was being tucked into the stiff collar of the bleached shirt he wore_ – and Ravi decided Jiwon would never go into music.

 

Ravi was…

 

He was strong. As a teenager, he was not necessarily stronger than other hybrids, but he did have strength enough to work the manual labor jobs the other owners wanted when The Boss gave him a day off – days off meant no pay, free time being more like a taunt of what they could never have. Somehow Ravi never had his growth stunted by the lack of nutrients. His muscles were the wiry lean product of a great deal of exertion and no fat to pad his body, but gave an imposing image to the fierce protector he painted himself as. By 18, Ravi found out what paid better, and did not waste time trying to meet the other owners for odd-jobs any longer.

 

As bad as it was for Ravi, he knew it would be far worse for Jiwon as she grew up. Though Jiwon would forget their parents’ faces in the coming years, Ravi remembered thinking his mother was the most beautiful lioness in the whole world. His sister was not a copy of their mother, but she was clearly going to grow up as gorgeous one day.

 

He was terrified.

 

His own experiences were mild to what they could be, having never run away out of fear of the possible consequences to Jiwon and being well-liked – _“you’re such a good lay, baby”_ – by the locals. Most of the whippings were from the, for lack of a better word, underlings who disliked a hybrid able to do more than they, like read or write.

 

But Ravi knew. Being literate meant reading the horrible stories about rapists and arsonists going through hybrid towns, magic being used to bind children who had no defense, and he also knew the hidden histories. Bodies exhumed while a scientist “discovers” a difference in the skulls of hybrids and Ozians. Women disappearing while children – with no feline ears, but a purposefully clipped tail to hide their doubly crossed status – appear and are taken in by rich families. No records being kept of the dead, while every act of self-defense was quickly extinguished as insurrection.

 

These ideas had been on his mind when he approached his freed friend, Kai, at 21.

 

“ _If I collected enough to get Jiwon out, would you take her in?”_

 

“ _Ravi, you know I would, but there’s no way you-” the brown-maned hybrid walking in the brick road to town beside Ravi stopped. He turned to look at his tall friend, and Ravi looked back with a poker face betrayed by the tightness around his eyes._

 

_Kai was shocked, but he nodded his head, and confirmed, “I’ll keep her out of trouble”, not missing how Ravi relaxed when Kai never proposed treating her like “his own sister”. Kai understood._

 

* * *

 

Ravi finally got to the docks just as the sun was rising, a mix of lion hybrids and Ozians were milling about, a few who saw him at a distance raising a hand or shouting in greeting. By the time he reached the shacks and buildings lining the water, a few of the more boisterous workers were slapping his back or gripping him in powerful hugs. Ravi was mentally screaming in pain. The tense quiver of tension went down to the backs of his knees each time they pressed deeper into the mottled flesh of his shoulder.

 

He laughed it all off, joking with the workers he had come to know over the past few years, while one or two men asked when the next fight was.

 

When he wasn’t performing – _“Give me a private show later won’t you?”_ – Ravi was fighting. Though he was not much of an aggressive person, the fights paid up. Of course, The Boss was getting nearly all of the funds in the first place, but tips, those were things Ravi collected for himself. _And if there_ _a_ _re one or two_ _more_ _, how shall we say, “_ _closed_ _to the_ _public” fights that I’_ _m in_ _,_ Ravi thought to himself walking to the dockmaster’s _, The Boss wouldn’t hear about that now would he?_

 

Once in a while an “open-match” would be set up and without fail, Ravi and an opponent battled it out on the water. Lion hybrids were able to swim when absolutely necessary, but the open ocean was a guaranteed panic and drowning for most. Ravi wasn’t a better swimmer than any other hybrid, but he had connections that they didn’t; a particularly gifted witch in water charms who liked him.

 

 _L_ _ong, slender fingers were trailing paths down the slope of his_ _scarred_ _back, running down to meet the juncture of his spine and his tail. “You seem to have an enormous capacity for love and companionship. It’s a shame you weren’t born Ozian”. She then reached up to cup his neck from where he was above her, and bring him down into a kiss._ _Lips pulling away and shifting, s_ _he whispered against his cheek, “Give me love like no one else around me can”._

 

Before a match, he would tie the small knotted string with the charm around his ankle. Never having cause to use it, Ravi still felt minor assurance each time he put it back in case that match would be the one to shove him into the darkened waters.

 

The salt-air rushed in when Ravi opened the wood and rope door, rustling a stack of papers held down by a sleeping cat. The feline raised its head at the intrusion, but deemed him a non-threat and relaxed into its nap once more. The enormous mountain of man behind the counter also turned to face Ravi, toothy beam in stark contrast to his darkened skin.

 

Ravi steeled his resolve, and walked forward to cash in another favor.

 

* * *

 

Walking with the enchanted bag under his arm and a vow under his quickly beating breast, Ravi went to meet Kai at the mill where he worked. Knowing his time was limited, Ravi kept a running script going in his mind, how to bring up the ship with both Kai and Jiwon’s names on the roster and any of Kai’s arguments.

 

_She needs a friend, I’m sure you could both do better further from this shitty seashore. You are worth so much more than the miller deserves, I want Jiwon as far away as possible, I don’t want her to kno-_

 

Opening the door with a bang, Ravi pasted on a broad grin and yelled, “Master Deol, can I steal your boy away for an hour?” only to hear a thud and the sudden raised tones of cursing mixed with laughter. “Ravi, my boy is going to lose a finger at this rate, stop scaring him from the floor down!”

 

Ravi heard more cursing, even as legs appeared descending the ladder in the back corner of the room. Dark head ducking below the ceiling to glare at his long-time friend, Kai began to speak cuttingly, “If you want me to leave work, you had better be getting me something at this point. I’m primed to fall down the ladder the next time someone opens the door and I’m totally blaming you for that”

 

Bowing mockingly, Ravi watched as Kai went to a back room to wash his hands. He looked down at the bag, which had fallen from his shoulders, and hiked it back into place.

 

“You going somewhere lad?”

 

Muscles in his tail and ears flexed from the sudden inquiry and Ravi looked to Madame Deol who gave him an open and happy smile. He could not help but return it, shaking his head slightly and explaining that he was going to ask Kai for a favor.

 

When the two were on the aimless trek and urgent discussion, Kai was baffled by Ravi's sudden suggestion that Kai and Jiwon leave the town entirely.

 

“Ravi, I already promised to take care of Jiwon! I don’t understand why you need her so far away! You love her!”

 

“It’s important to me, Kai. Just trust me when I say you need to keep her away. If she says she wants to free me too, don’t let her unless she’s happily mated with a cub or two. She needs to live for herself. I’ll be fine”

 

“Ravi. Stop. Please. Answer me. Why does it seem like you’re not freeing her, but you’re trying to hide her from something? Why are you sending her away? We can be here for you”

 

Eyes glassy from frustrated tears, Ravi threw the bag into Kai’s arms. With his now free hands and the element of surprise, he tightly gripped Kai’s shoulders and looked slightly down to his friend’s face.

 

Anguished, Ravi emphatically claimed, “Because it’s _wrong_ ”

( _Just a few more weeks Jiwon-love. I promise. No more secrets._ _You’ll be safer_ )

 

* * *

 

Despite the fact that so many people depended on, respected, or feared The Boss, he was not much to look at in person. Rather short, a fairly square face, and an odd nasal quality to his voice, The Boss looked fairly…normal.

 

This impression would only solidify were someone to approach him with a problem. It seemed odd to think a slave owner would speak to the slave well, but it seemed to gain Ravi’s fellow hybrid’s respect. Ravi wasn’t quite so easily swayed, hence the reason even in his own mind, The Boss was the man’s title.

 

“What’s the matter boy? We have a problem?”

 

Ravi was always surprised at the way The Boss spoke to his “indentured servants”. Somehow fatherly, despite the invisible collar and leash held in the man’s hand. “No sir. I have something to ask but I didn’t know if you’d like it”

 

The man’s eyebrows rose in a poor imitation of concern. “You can always ask me something! Someone causing trouble?”

 

“No sir. I want to pay for my sister’s freedom”

 

There was a pause, a surprised look that seemed the most authentic reaction Ravi had seen on the man’s face in his life.

 

The Boss cleared his throat and gave a not-quite-scoffing laugh, before placating his prized possession, “I don’t think you have enough for that, boy”

 

Without missing a beat, Ravi asserted, “I do sir”

 

“I was surprised when I heard you offered to take on the kids on the docks when you were a cub. Now I know why”

 

 _An interesting analogy,_ Ravi considered, _though by any standards I’ve been an adult since the time I was torn from my fucking innocence._ “Yes sir. I have enough to pay for my sister to be free”

 

“You know that means you won’t have enough for your own freedom for a while. Possibly at all”

 

“Yes sir. I do sir” _because you were always going to keep me anyway._

 

“You’ll leave her behind?”

 

Ravi straightened in an odd combination of offense and pride. “I’d rather she leave me behind, sir,” offense at the suggestion, “She’s stronger than I am,” and pride for Jiwon.

 

* * *

 

Three weeks after Ravi gained The Boss’ agreement, two new men were seen walking around the shanty-town. One seemed to hold an old-fashioned pad of paper in his arms where he wrote notes periodically. The other had a presence of a wizard, but none of the grand gestures. It made him all the more noticeable and gossip-worthy, as hybrid workers and Ozians alike questioned the presence of such a man in their midst. A few more keen-eyed individuals were wary of the sharp way the man looked at the hybrids around the village, and the quick taps of a finger against his thigh. Many knew that a wizard rarely does such things without purpose.

 

One of those observers was a thief and noticed very quickly when the two men seemed to come to some conclusion after the week of their visit. When the taller wizard grabbed a familiar brown-haired lioness, the thief ran to the docks to find Ravi.

 

As the man ran to find Jiwon’s brother, Jiwon herself was tight-lipped and quiet. She was not as ignorant of the ways of the world as her sibling feared, but as soon as she ascertained where they were taking her, Jiwon remained silent and let them tell her everything she needed to know.

 

The smaller man addressed his apparent superior with a light tone. “I’m surprised she hasn’t reacted. Did you put a spell on her, sir?”

 

When the taller man ( _Wizard too. Well_ , Jiwon thought wryly, _it seems_ _I’ve found myself in an unfortunate position_ ) merely ignored the subordinate in favor of picking up his pace, Jiwon was worried about how badly Ravi might react to the fact that she was being taken to Master Araya by two clearly imposing figures. She kept her thoughts calm, so as to translate nothing in her body language of her fear or concern. Jiwon was mentally praising Ravi for his secret-keeping, _‘cause nothing else would’ve made me this good an actress_.

 

The mismatched trio arrived quickly at the painted front door of Master Araya’s house. Deep blue door creaking open at their approach, Jiwon saw Hyuna’s bright skirts flit through the halls carrying china between rooms. Eyes meeting for a spare second, Jiwon was sure Hyuna was going to be letting the hybrids in the house know to keep their ears out. _It’s nice to know someone’s got your back._

 

Arms jerked once more when the two bracketing men stepped forward, Jiwon kept pace but continued with concerned thoughts, _Now all I need to know is what they have my back for_.

 

“We will buy this lioness hybrid and a red-haired male hybrid”

 

_Well, that’s perfect._

 

Master Araya had been seated in one of his reclining chairs smoking some sort of a pipe when the group barged into his study. Jiwon couldn’t recognize the smoke emanating from the pipe, but recognized the affronted look on the man’s face, as he claimed staunchly, “I don’t keep slaves”

 

Arms released, the taller man waved a hand in a flippant manner, simultaneously to dismiss the man’s argument and to close the double doors behind them. “Semantics. We will pay for those two hybrids to come with us”

 

Master Araya clamped his teeth and lips once more over the pipe and dragged out the smoke. Letting it out in a large gust, Jiwon took in a deep breath and held it before the pungent odor made its creeping way towards her. He said, “’M afraid somebody already bought the girl’s freedom,” ( _No_ ) “Nice kid,” ( _Ravi_ ) “Good man” ( _You_ _**didn’t**_ ).

 

As Jiwon’s chest felt ready to burst – both at the new knowledge and being at the upper bound of her lung capacity – the tall wizard addressed the master of the house with a detached but firm suggestion, “Then we can speak with him and negotiate first”

 

“I’ll have to be there. See, he is under my employ”

 

“Perfect”

 

Jiwon could feel her pounding heartbeat when she finally exhaled.

 

* * *

 

Ravi did not burst into the room as he had intended, forewarned by his friends and colleagues that Jiwon went in under her own power. Had she been taken while unconscious or been harmed in any way, Ravi would have bypassed the doors and gone straight in through the window.

 

Instead, he had sprinted to The Boss’ mansion and then leveled his breathing to seem more composed before he went inside. Face blank ( _Vivi, you look so angry! I mean, I know you’re trying not to giggle, but really, you look like you’ll claw someone’s face off!_ ) Ravi knocked on the wide doors in front of him.

 

Upon opening, Ravi saw the taller of the two strange men purse his lips and turn slowly to The Boss. “You failed to mention the buyer was also a hybrid”

 

“Brother-sister pair,” The Boss said redundantly while Jiwon and Ravi came together like magnets. Jiwon’s ears had given way to a shiver and the fur on Ravi’s own tail and ears was standing up in aggression. When Jiwon gripped the hem of the slightly dusty shirt Ravi wore, Ravi shifted them slightly to the side so none of the men could come up from their flanks.

 

The taller man seemed at once frustrated and appeased by this information, seeming to dismiss any concerns of the shorter man who opened his mouth, saying, “Then there is no purpose in haggling. The male cannot negotiate on our terms, but we are willing to buy both for the standard price as intended”

 

Ravi knew he was courting a dangerous situation, but decided to bank on The Boss’ geniality and favoritism. He addressed the room at large, “I can understand you, and I would like to know why we’re here, sir” with a subtle jab for information and the minimal respect The Boss had come to expect.

 

The large man still seated merely shrugged, responding, “These men wanted to pay for Jiwon’s services, but I had ta tell them you already paid for her.” Articles flashing in his mind over the type of “services” expected of a young female hybrid, Ravi felt the urge to curl his lips and snarl at the three opponents in his way.

 

Like any other man backed to an edge, he gripped his sanity – and Jiwon – and was prepared for a last stand, but The Boss continued, “Looks like they want you in the mix too, but they just said “red-haired” and I wasn’t sure if they meant you or Timoteo” and Ravi realized it might not need to be a last stand.

 

“We will pay you double the standard price for both”

 

Interjecting, Ravi asserted, “She is already free” to the room at large.

 

The Boss seemed completely flabbergasted at the price “Double!” while Jiwon began to speak under her breath, “Ravi...” and Ravi himself trying to pet her shoulder and arm reassuringly.

 

But the trader in front of them continued with affront, “He’s worth more than _double_!”

 

Tail twitching and periodically brushing against his sibling, Ravi finally stepped slightly forward and bartered. “Or you could pay for me at the correct price and I still pay for her to go free” was his suggestion, which precipitated the increasingly fervent ‘Ravi’s from behind him.

 

“Sir, your hybrid seems to be presumptuous”

 

“Not a bad idea though. _**2**_ times. He’s worth 3 times the standard price on his own. Why’d you need both of them anyway?”

 

The man seemed unbothered by the line of questioning. “Scientific curiosity of the hybrid biology. They are a race that deserves to be further examined”

 

Ravi, feeling Jiwon’s grip tightening on the back of his shirt decided it best to interject before anything more terrifying came out of the man’s mouth. “So, do you accept my offer then?”

 

As before, the scientist did not outwardly acknowledge Ravi’s speech, instead redirecting his attention to The Boss, saying, “We will need to inspect both hybrids first before we settle on an agreement. If the male or female is not in peak condition, then the payment will be reduced”

 

“Either I’m being paid for and she goes free or I’m not being paid for and she still goes free. In neither case is there a need for her to be inspected. I would do so willingly so long as you don’t force her to”

 

There was a considerable pause from the researcher and his aide, both of whom finally seemed frustrated enough to pay attention to the lion-hybrid they seemed to want. The taller of the two turned his gaze on the owner again, demanding, “You accept this behavior?”

 

The Boss chuckled ( _probably cause you aren’t risking a whipping you-_ ) saying, “The boy isn’t wrong now, is he? I wouldn’t really like to lose both of them, but if I’m getting full price for it, then there isn’t a problem. I may be wrong, but I’m guessing you really wanted these ones specifically”

 

A frustrated hum came from the Ozian scientist, before he spoke directly to Ravi for the first time, “Then remove your coverings hybrid and stand upright”

 

Ravi felt the chill run through his body at the idea that Jiwon would have to stay ( _isn’t right, not right_ ), but he needed to keep her calm now. He delicately pried his sister’s fingers from his shirt and told her, “Look away Jiwon”. Hearing a tight inhalation, he quietly entreated, “Please”

 

Removing his clothes in a quick and clinical fashion, Ravi stood unadorned in front of the three men. He knew Jiwon had listened to him because she gave no reaction when the taller scientist began to poke and prod him. Lifting Ravi’s arms like a doll, taking out tools to examine Ravi’s twitching ears, seeing the state of Ravi’s tail, he had never felt more out of control in his life. His bruises and scratches had only healed in the past week, and he almost wished they had stayed, like a reminder that he had chosen something, even if it hurt him as it helped.

 

Seemingly reaching some agreement, the scientist and his aide nodded, and the former spoke once more, “The lion hybrid seems adequate. Do you have any other lioness’ in your property? Any which he has a relationship with?”

 

“None I don’t need”

 

“Pity. It would be far more effective to observe a set” ( _I would go down fighting or I would kill myself first_ , Ravi thought darkly)

 

“Then come with me to my study so you can pay. No need for all that pesky bureau paperwork. The red tape makes the whole operation crazy. It’s my business what I do, not some paper pusher”

 

Ravi had little time as the trio left the room and the wizard flicked a finger in his direction. Tensing at the unknown intent, he looked down at the new bright orange collar that materialized on his neck. The doors were still ajar when Jiwon turned her brother around with a strength he had not known she possessed. Her face was not yet marred by tears, just her angry and abjectly saddened expression. “You have been trying to pay for my freedom for at least 7 years,” she began lowly, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Lips tensed together in her upset while she paused for an answer, she demanded more forcefully, “Why did you not _tell_ me what you planned?”

 

Fingers reaching to take her jaw gently in his hands, Ravi smiled. Leaning down he placed one kiss on his sister’s hairline and another on one fallen brown ear. Both arms coming around to again embrace her, he whispered into one twitching ear, “I’m your big brother. That’s what we’re supposed to do”

 

Wetness stained his neckline, while Jiwon grumbled and finally argued, “And I’m your sister, your packmate, your friend, and I would be damned if I voluntarily left you behind. You knew this. Big brother,” her breath hitched, “Ravi, you think I’m the _kid sister_ to protect, but you never let me try to protect _you_ ”

 

Both siblings crying at the last choked note, she quietly sobbed out, “It’s not fair that I nev- never even got th-the chance to try, _damn you_. I love you, Ravi, I love you. _I love you_ ”

 

“Come hybrid. We are leaving immediately”

 

* * *

 

Unchained but still shackled for all intents and purposed, Ravi was spirited away with the two scientists to a carriage ( _Goodbye, Kai. Look after Jiwon. Hyuna, take care of the house hybrids when I can’t. Timoteo, give the dockmaster my thanks. Master Deol, you’re not a bad man, so I’m sorry, none of you will know this-_ ). No visible motor or animal to pull it along, he assumed the wizard lent his magic to its motion. _What a waste._

 

As the assistant opened the back of the carriage and whistled to Ravi to jump up in, the perturbed lion hybrid stepped up with as much dignity as possible. Ignoring the signs of the lion-hybrid being irritated, the man shut the truck closed and came around to the front. Ravi was still able to hear the pair clearly with the bed of the carriage remaining open to the air. “We may still be able to acquire a compatible female on our way back to the facility, sir”

 

The wizard hardly waited a moment for his assistant to get in before he jerked both hands upwards and the carriage shot off throwing the unprepared duo backwards. “Unlikely. We have a limited window in which to observe the lion hybrid’s capacities and this one appears to have a strong control over his urges. The building is only inhabited by a prisoner, but his assigned patrol is set to visit in year 4 of his sentence. We will only have 8 months to do what we need given the cost to acquire him, not enough to observe the full process of gestation even if he were eventually attracted to the hypothetical female you are proposing.” Hands clenched tight for a moment, “The price cut down our resources for research extensively”

 

The assistant hummed in comprehension, while Ravi felt every fiber of his being reject the scenario the main scientist proposed. What they planned to do with his hypothetical cubs, Ravi was selfishly glad he didn’t know. He had to tune back into the discussion before his thoughts overwhelmed his reason.

 

“Why were you interested in that particular female, sir? When you learned they were the set, you seemed to want both, but it would hardly be possible to learn about full scopes of behaviour from siblings”

 

The scientist gave his aide a disgruntled look, one like a teacher whose star pupil failed to give the correct answer. Or, in this case, ask the right question. “You failed to do your research. Based on previous data and observations, this hybrid race mates their siblings just as easily as non-relatives”

 

A quiet pervaded the carriage. Ravi saw the back of the aide’s head turn to look at him, giving a look up and down before raising an eyebrow. “I suppose I can see why. They wouldn’t be able to find much else given what they look like”

 

Ravi flexed his jaw quietly in the background, only to feel a tightening in the collar around his neck pinch the delicate skin of his nape. Nails instinctively trying to get between the magicked material and his flesh, the pressure released and the scientist smacked the aide on the back of the head.

 

“These are biological imperatives, and not a cultural norm as you seem to suggest. Think before you speak. They do not have sufficient awareness to care about appearances the way you propose, but they _do_ have the ability to harm you given a minimal understanding of body language and challenging behaviour”

 

The smaller Ozian seemed to back down and bow his head in deference. The scientist continued his ( _abso-_ _ **fucking-**_ _lutely unhinged_ ) lecture on hybrids.

 

“Previous records believed that hybrids were originally one small tribe of shapeshifters that had gotten their magic stuck in their respective hybrid forms and propagated, but it appears they are biologically quite different from Ozians. You may have heard of my previous colleagues discoveries on the skeletal differences between Ozians and hybrids...”

 

 _I don’t know if I can listen anymore,_ Ravi thought, agog. _This man is insane and he doesn’t even know it. He’s praising a **grave robber**!_

 

“Our specimen is representative of a specific subspecies of lion-hybrid, one which had delineated the clans into male and female troops. This is how they avoided the procreation with siblings compared to the more traditional prides...”

 

Ravi remembered his father’s troop before their family was relocated and their territory appropriated. He had met Jiwon and his mother a grand total of three times before the seizure.

 

“I’m sure the specimen would feel no shame over the matter. It is not within a hybrid’s control unlike an Ozian”

 

The urge to laugh humorlessly had grown to unsustainable proportions. He looked down at his manacle-less hands and considered the irony _._ _Whether it was brotherly love or otherwise, I would never force another person to love me. She needed to be as far away from what I could be._ _I’ve been chained by my choices now, more than my race._ He remained cognizant of the men in front of him, but finally closed his eyes to process this completely unexpected slavery in a completely different system.

 

* * *

 

_And so it begins. Welcome Ravi. Let’s go through Hell._

 

 

_It’s the same heat anyway._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Warnings: Those that are seen in the tags, with the additions of references to corporal punishment, mentions of prostitution, minimal violence, specific scenario of non-consensual stripping, and hypothetical incest.
> 
> Yeah, that's where the research is unfortunately.


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